November 15, 1959 Earthquake: Xingjiang, China
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck Xingjiang, China on November 15, 1959 at 10:25:16 UTC.
Map
Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Date
- November 15, 1959
- Time
- 10:25:16 UTC
- Place
- Xingjiang, China
- Magnitude
- 6.4 (Ms)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 38.750° N, 75.317° E
- Country
- China
The toll
- Deaths
- Few (about 1 to 50)
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
- Houses destroyed
- Few (about 1 to 50) with its tsunami and other effects
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
November 15, 1959, 18:25:16 local time, Mount Kongur, Xinjiang Autonomous Region, 38 deg 45 min N, 75 deg 19 min E, magnitude 6.4.
Uzatar: A part of civilian houses collapsed or were
destroyed. Rocks rolled down slopes. Individual casualties were reported.
Bulunkou: Rocks rolled down hill in quantity.
Opal: Violent rocking occurred,
Kiziltar: Horses hung back. Stones rolled down slopes,
Qiaomulun: People ran outdoors.
(above from reference #3939)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- August 22, 1902, Xinjiang, Turkestan, China
- February 24, 2003, Bachu, S. Xinjiang, China
- October 5, 2008, Nura, Kyrgyzstan
- August 23, 1985, Wuqua-Shufu, S Xinjiang, China
- June 21, 1898, Xinjiang, China
- March 19, 1996, Artux, Jiashi, Bachu, Kashi, S. Xinjiang, China
- January 21, 1997, Jiashi County, Southern Xinjiang, China
- April 11, 1997, S. Xinjiang, Bachu, Shule, Yingjisha, China
- May 10, 2017, Quzgun, Taxkorgan Tajik, Xinjiang, China
- March 5, 1896, Xinjiang, China
- November 1, 1896, Kashgar, Xinjiang Province, China
- February 25, 2003, Bachu, S. Xinjiang, China
- March 1, 1997, S. Xinjiang, Jiashi County, Kashi, China
- November 25, 2016, Kashgar, Xinjiang Province, China
- August 29, 1963, Xinjiang, China
More
Significant earthquakes of 1959The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1959Recent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history
Sources
Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 8030.